X-Men: Come the Apocalypse (pt. 5) Author: Nathan Summers Date: 1997/10/02 Forum: alt.comics.fan-fiction note: Before we start I just wanted to let everyone know why this didn't go up yesterday. My computer was in the shop, getting, upgraded, and to make a long story short, I thought I would get it back by then. Well, it wasn't, I was pissed, and-- oh, let's just get started! Some where near the Shi'ar system, many lightyears away... {Bishop}: We almost ready yet? {Deathbird}: Once your pressure suit's secure. {Bishop}: Lemme' just get my helmet on. Done. {Deathbird}: Get ready. The electronic doors behind Bishop slide open and Bishop backs up inside. He watches as they then close, wondering if he'll ever see the strange woman he knows little about... yet loves, ever again. The hatch in the wall next to him pops loose and Bishop is immediately sucked out. he catches hold of the life-line attached to the side of the pod. {Deathbird}: Bishop, Bishop can you hear me? {Bishop}: Just barely. I'm moving in. {Deathbird}: You be careful out there. Don't rush it. You'll get ripped apart like the royal cruiser was. That thing's electromagnetic field is powerfu. {Bishop}: Noted. He hits the retro-rockets on his pressure suit and shoots towards the gigantic craft. Bishop takes Deathbird's advice and shuts his rockets down, slowly drifting now. He slams into the ship hard, damaging the life-support system on his suit. If Bishop doesn't get out of there quick, he's done for. {Bishop}: G-Gotta find a switch or somethin'. Gotta get inside this thing. Come on, come on! Beads of sweat stream down Bishop's face as he fummbles around looking for an entrance. That's when he realized his mistake. {Bishop}: What was I thinking?!? I knew nothing about this ship! Nothing at all. Why on Earth should there be an entrance right here? Forall I know, I could be on top of this thing. I'm dead. It's hard enough to move with this gravity, but now the suit's quitting on me. My rockets aren't strong enough to get me back to the escape pod either. This is where it ends. Suddenly part of the "wall" Bishop was facing slid inward far enough that Bishop could look inside. Then something reached out of the opening and grabbed him. {Bishop}: Whoa! What the hell-- something's got me! Pulling, yanking me inside! {Deathbird}: Bishop! Bishop! What's happening? {Bishop}: {Deathbird>: Bishop! Earth. The Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. {Cable}: ARRGGHHH! So MaNy ImAgEs! C-c-C-c-CaN't CoNcEnTrAtE! {Storm}: Nathan. Listen to me. You must tell us what you're seeing. That is the only way we can help you. And Caliban. {Cable}: ok 'ro. i'll try. gotta try to sort all this crap out. gotta put it together in my mind. ok... getting somethin' here. {Beast}: What is it? {Cable}: There's Caliban. And Apocalypse. And Ozymandias. Wait-- Carter Ryking? Nate Grey? Gene Nation? Don't understand... {Storm}: Keep going. {Cable}: Yeah. Let's see... Blob, Mimic, Post, and of course, Holocaust. There's more... Havok, Fatale, McCoy, Aurora... n-n-nothing else. {Cannonball}: The Brotherhood? Gene Nation? And some o' those others were Onslaught flunkies weren't they? {Wolverine}: Yup. That just leaves two oddballs. Hazard and "X-Man." {Joseph}: What do you propose we do, Storm? {Storm}: Good question. There are far too many individuals that we can hope to save from Apocalypse's wrath. We shall split into teams and locate those we should be most concerned with. Iceman, Cecilia, Cannonball-- Suddenly the twin doors of the Xavier Institute flew open. A battered, ragged, broken, and bruised Jean Summers stood before them. And she was pissed! {Phoenix}: Okay, people, we have a problem! Within one of the Great Pyramids of Egypt... {Apocalypse}: You have done well, Post. I can now appoint you the leader of the new Dark Riders. You on the other hand, Holocaust... {Holocaust}: Father please, the X-Men-- {Apacalypse}: Do not call me that! I am your master, not your father. Whoever your father was in this alternate dimension of yours, he was a different man! And I could care less about the X-Men! The Avengers didn't have the man-power to defeat you and Post-- they had to outsmart you. This was an acceptable defeat. But you lost to the X-Men because they over-powered you! This is completely unacceptable! And what is the meaning of bringing Caliban here?!? Did you ever stop to think that he could've had a bug planted on him? He must be eliminated immediately! I will see to it that Carrion accomplishes the task you couldn't once he is ready. Leave me! I must now work on recruiting the newest Horseman-- War! Holocaust keeps his mouth shut and walks away. He doesn't show his anger at all but he is furious at his "father." He truly is a different man then the one he once knew. {Holocaust}: One day, Apcalypse... one day. Back at Xavier's... {Storm}: Jean, this is all very hard to take in... you say you were ambushed by Post? {Jean}: Yes. Scott and Betsy were taken prisoner. I left Warren in an ally so I could get to you. Post thinks he's dead. {Storm}: I do not understand. It does not seem like Post to attack and flee withoout completing his task. {Jean}: He basically was dead. I turned is mind off so that his body would cease functioning. I've since turned it "back on" but he's still unconscious. {Storm}: Then we must pick him up. {Beast}: Jean, do you think this attack was connected to Apocalypse in any way? {Jean}: Funny you should mention it. Post kept making Apocalyptic references. Why do you ask? {Beast}: It's a longggg story. I'll explain after we've retrieved Warren. An hour later, Jean is cleaned up and Warren is resting comfortably. He will recover. But not for about a day. Beast has also explained everything that has happened to them in the past few hours. {Jean}: I can't believe this. It's all so shocking. {Storm}: I was just about to assign teams to protect the most concerning of Apocalypse's suspected targets: Nate Grey, and the Brotherhood. {Beast}: Storm?!? You mean you aren't concerned about the Gene Nation? {Storm}: Of course I am concerned, but they made it quite clear that if they needed my help again, they would request it. I think the Gene Nation are quite self-sufficient now. We will help them if we find the time. But I am more concerned with the others right now. {Jean}: Before you assign teams, I'd like to volunteer myself to Nate Grey's protection. He knows and trusts me most of all the X-Men and I think it would be easier if I were there. {Rogue}: Me too! Ah've had two run-ins with the boy, and he doesn't trust me as much as he trusts Jean, but at least he'll remeber me. Too bad Bishop isn't around anymore... {Storm}: Alright. Jean, Rogue, Wolverine, Cable, and Maggott take care of Grey. Iceman, Cecilia, Joseph, Cannonball, and myself will seek out the Brotherhood. Understood? {Maggott}: Hmmph. And I don't even know the lad. {Storm}: Understood?!? {Maggott}: Yes M'am! {Beast}: Er, no. {Storm}: Hank, you will be our back-up. Do not hesitate to respond if one of these two teams needs you. {Beast}: whoever heard of a one man back-upblahblahblahblahblah*** {Storm}: Let's move it! Greenland... {Exodus}: Can barely stand this cold... My energy's sapped, I feel like hell, and my legs are numb. What in the world am I doing here? I've got to sap energy from other people to survive and I'm in the middle of no where. {Apocalypse}: Perhaps I can help you. {Exodus}: What? You again! Wait, I don't know you? Do, I? {Apocalypse}: That matters not. What matters is the proposal I offer you. Unlimited power. Exodus. You won't have to depend on others to survive anymore. What you did in Genosha-- childsplay compared to what you can do with my powers! {Exodus}: You know my name? {Apocalypse}: You fool! Do you accept? {Exodus}: I suppose. I've always had a lust for power. But you can be assured there will be questions later! {Apocalypse} (mummbling) Oh, no there won't. {Exodus}: Didn't catch that? {Apocalypse}: Never mind. It's nothing. Step forward, and be Exodus no more, but War, second Horseman of the Apocalypse! to be continued next Wednesday on A.C.F.F. (promise ;) )